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Newsboys have something to say, and that message is “God’s Not Dead.”
With the Christian pop band coming to the Honeywell Center in Wabash Sunday, Newsboys keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein took a few minutes April 12 to do a telephone interview and talk about the new CD and tour, both titled “God’s Not Dead.”
“The name of the tour comes from the record,” Frankenstein said. “The original concept was just to be a worship-style record, make the record for churches to use.”
The tour and record are to encourage people and churches in their faith, he said, in a culture that wants to take God out of everything.
The CD, released in November, features 12 songs. Frankenstein said it’s a little different than most because it features more worship songs than most. Eight of the songs have already been recorded by other worship artists, but for this CD the Newsboys put their own sound to the songs.
Four of the tracks are original songs written or co-written by Newsboys members.
In the video for the song “God’s Not Dead,” there are scenes showing modern technology like Tablets and smartphones with news on them proclaiming the death of God. By the end of the video, the Newsboys have changed the message to proclaim God is not dead.
“It was somewhat planned,” Frankenstein said of the video. “The idea is that so much media is calling for our attention, it almost makes religion sound old fashioned. Part of our message is God is still relevant.”
Atheism in today’s world has sort of become a religion itself, he said.
“At the same time, as Christians we still need to be honest, open and vulnerable in the world,” he continued. Some Christians proclaim they don’t make mistakes, but everyone does, he said. “It’s something to be said of Christians who can lay down their pride.”
Few of the “God’s Not Dead” tour dates are not sold out, which Frankenstein is thankful for.
“These times are a little scary when you go out on tour,” he said.
Newsboys have been a part of bigger tours, with other acts, but Frankenstein said this tour was the first one in a long time where they’ve gone out on their own. But he said people have responded well to the tour.
Lots of pop acts are about “me, me, me,” he said, but a gospel tour is just the opposite. “It’s about who can I serve. ... Our faith is about who we can serve,” he said.
Frankenstein said what makes this tour so much fun is that Newsboys is performing most of the songs off the new album, and the crowd instantly recognizes most of them so there is instant audience participation. The audience sings along from almost the very first word, he said.
“It’s really powerful.”
One reason Newsboys has been together so long, he said, is because they’re about serving something greater than themselves. “That’s what’s so great about our shows. There’s more to it than the music,” Frankenstein said.
Along with Frankenstein on keys, there’s Duncan Phillips on drums, Jody Davis on guitars and Michael Tait is the front man. Tait, known for his days with d.c. Talk, has been with Newsboys for about four years. The other three guys, the “core of the band,” have been together for about 20 years, Frankenstein said.
“People will often ask the question, being on the road, being ‘rock stars,’ how do you stay humble? I’ve wanted to make a documentary about that, staying humble. Life behind the scenes is different than you think it is,” Frankenstein said.
Being with his bandmates for about 20 years, he said there’s not much you can keep from each other. Being on tour is different every day. The bus broke down April 11 and Frankenstein didn’t get a chance to eat or brush his teeth by the 3 p.m. interview April 12, he said. But if you’re fine with that kind of life where you never know what to expect, Frankenstein said it’s pretty fun.
“Musicians in general, you’ll find, are the most laid-back and stress free,” he said. “They tend to be very relaxed.”
The “God’s Not Dead” Tour features four bands, including the Newsboys. Speaker Bob Lenz also appears on the stage before the Newsboys to explain Newsboys’ affiliation with Compassion International.
“Obviously,” Frankenstein said, “it’s a concert. We are entertainers and musicians. We use the platform for more than music. We try to cram as much production into it as we can. You will be tired by the end of the night.”
On tour, he said they’ve seen lives changed. They even manage to change people’s lives not at the show. During the first half of the tour alone, Frankenstein said Newsboys fans have sponsored more than 3,000 children through Compassion International. They expected to help that many by the end of the tour.
Compassion International has existed for more than 30 years, Frankenstein said, and has a very good track record of integrity. It is set up all over the world, providing water wells and food programs. It goes into impoverished areas and get people there trained to set up infrastructure, so that along with the wells and food programs, communities can thrive.
During the tour, Frankenstein said Newsboys asks their fans to sponsor a child through Compassion International. Cost is $30 a month that goes to another country where it becomes like $400 a month, he said. The orphans then have food and clothing.
“I’ve sponsored a few kids for years and years and I’ve seen the difference it makes,” he said.
Newsboys’ “God’s Not Dead” tour arrives in Wabash Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17, $27 and $50.
A VIP Experience Package also is available and can be purchased for an additional $45. It includes a gift bag with CD, laminate and photo, an exclusive question-and-answer session with the band and an autograph session.
Tickets and the VIP package can be purchased at the Honeywell Center box office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling 260-563-1102 or visiting www.honeywellcenter.org
For more information on the Newsboys and the tour, visit the official website at www.newsboys.com
